The invention relates to handheld polishing tools in general, and particularly to tools suitable for polishing glass and plastic.
Glass and plastic windows are essential for all vehicles which are driven or occupied by humans where it is desirable to both be protected within the vehicle and yet be able to observe the environment surrounding the vehicle. Whether visibility is necessary for navigation, safety, reconnaissance, or enjoyment, it is important that the windows formed of glass and plastic be as free of scratches as possible so as not to obscure the vision through the window. However, by their very nature, vehicles such as planes, automobiles, trains, or boats move through the air, and are thus often abraded by particles entrained in the air. Furthermore, windshield wipers can entrap abrasive particles which are then rubbed against the surface of the window, producing scratches. In addition, the chemical activity of rain, cleaning fluids, sea water, or other fluids can chemically etch glass or plastic thereby reducing its transparency. Replacing vehicle windows which have impaired transparency is often not cost-effective.
To extend the life of vehicle windows, techniques have been developed to remove surface imperfections such as scratches, crazing, and chemical etching, by polishing the window surface to remove the optical imperfections, and creating a smooth polished surface. Variable speed drills and polishers exist which can be used with flexible polishing disks which may have polishing surfaces, or which may use polishing compounds which are placed between the polishing disks and the window surface. The polishing process can require a number of steps depending on the depth of the optical imperfections to be removed. It can also be important to control the speed of the polishing disk to control the polishing action, and at the same time to avoid overheating of the window surface. Overheating may result in the formation of particles clumping which can result in scratches, or overheating may cause damage to the window material itself. What is needed is a durable polisher which can operate at high speeds, which can maintain set speeds, and which is lightweight and easy to control.